I do not own Teen Wolf
This chapter and some of the others from here will be a bit spicey/inappropriate just so y'all know.
Chapter Twelve
"So, you were rejecting the bite but then it just stopped? And nothing happened last night?"
"I recorded myself last night," Jackson stated. "Just in case."
"You recorder yourself?" Isaac asked.
"It was in case something happened," Jackson rolled his eyes. "Weird things have been happening. It feels like maybe I'm turning but only a little at a time."
"Explain," River demanded.
"I lifted the back of a truck the other day and I can hear things from further away if I concentrate."
"Have you ever heard of something like that?" River asked Derek.
"No," Derek shook his head. "Either you turn or you die."
"Or you're immune," River provided. "Sometimes the bite will wake up the magic in someone. I need to get my bestiary."
"Do you mean bestiality?" Scott asked.
"No, she doesn't," Stiles sighed. "It's a collection of descriptions of supernatural creatures."
"How am I the only one who hasn't heard about this stuff?" Scott asked.
"He's so unprepared for this," River complained, staring at Stiles.
"That's what I said," Stiles agreed.
"Can you two please not bounce your braincell back and forth for like five minutes?" Jackson asked.
"Can you two not bounce your braincell back and forth," Stiles mocked, causing River to giggle. "Shut up. You're the one recording yourself sleep."
"So, nothing happened?" River clarified.
"No," Jackson shook his head.
"Alright," River sighed. "I'll look into it and let you know what I find."
Jackson nodded his thanks as River turned to Isaac.
"Do you want to be in here for this next part?" River asked.
"Yeah," Isaac nodded.
"Isaac's dad was killed by something," River supplied, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall.
"How do you know?" Derek asked.
"He was almost torn apart," River explained. "I could feel that it was something supernatural. It wasn't a werewolf or a witch though."
"Was it Lydia?" Scott asked. "You said you didn't know what she was."
"She's a witch, fairy, or banshee," River shook her head. "She wouldn't have done this."
"What if she needed a sacrifice for a spell?" Scott asked.
"If Riv says it wasn't Lydia, then it wasn't Lydia," Isaac spoke up.
"The issue is that I don't know what it was. I'll look into that later, too."
"Where's your bestiary?" Stiles asked.
"Where did you get a bestiary?" Derek asked.
"Peter gave it to me," River told Derek before looking to Stiles. "At home. I need to grab all of my supplies and bring them here. I don't want to leave that stuff lying around where dad can find it."
"I'll help you get it all together," Stiles promised. "There might be another one around here somewhere."
"We'll have to look. There are hundreds of books here though. It'll take a while."
"Well, there are a lot of us. If you want, you and I can take the Jeep and go to the house to get everything and then come back. Everyone else can start looking while we're gone?"
"We can do that," Derek nodded.
"There are books in the living room, in the office down the hall, in my room and above Peter's bed," River stated. "We'll do my errands while we're out as well."
"What all do you need to do?" Stiles asked.
"Make more keys," River shrugged. "I need one for each of us, one for dad, and a few more just in case."
"Let's go," Stiles stated.
Everyone began moving around at once. Everyone except for Stiles and River headed off to grab a stack of books. Stiles and River walked outside, going to the Jeep and heading to run River's errands.
"So, I saw your room," Stiles told her.
"Very full," River smiled.
"I'm not sure where you're going to put your books," Stiles smiled.
"I'll stick some in your room like I always do," River smiled. "The closet is huge. I don't have enough clothes to fit it. I could stick a bunch in there, too."
"You basically own a library," Stiles smirked.
"I've always wanted a library," River smiled.
"I know. You wanted a rolling ladder, too," Stiles nodded.
"I think I can put one in the office," River smirked.
"I did not look at the office," Stiles stated.
"I'm surprised you didn't lay claim to it already."
"It's your house. I'm not laying claim to anything."
"You can claim anything you want in the house," River told him.
"What's mine is yours and what's yours is yours."
"I'm willing to share with you."
"River Stilinski? Willing to share? Is this a tale of the body snatchers?"
"I'm willing to share with you," she repeated. "No one else though."
"I'm honored," Stiles smiled, grabbing her hand.
They stayed quiet the rest of the drive, holding hands as they pulled into the hardware store parking lot. They stepped out of the Jeep and walked inside, requesting fifteen keys be made. The key maker raised his brows at the request but went to it anyway.
"We should look at shelves while we're here," Stiles said. "Do you know the parameters of the closet?"
"I can guesstimate," River offered.
"Oh, no," Stiles sighed, pulling out his phone. "Scotty! Do me a favor and go measure River's closet."
"Oh, he's going to mess it up," River groaned.
"He's offended at your lack of faith in him," Stiles smirked.
"Do you remember when we were building a doghouse when we were trying to convince dad we were responsible?" River asked. "Scott measured everything wrong and we ended up with a lopsided doghouse that dad took one look at and laughed so hard he almost peed himself."
"True. Scotty-boy! Ask Derek to do it instead," Stiles stated and after a moment smiled. "Apparently Derek heard your first complaint and already is heading to do it."
"Nice," River smiled. "Him I trust."
"Scott didn't like that," Stiles smirked.
"He'll be okay," River shrugged.
"Thanks, Sourwolf," Stiles smiled before quickly hanging up.
"He's going to kill you," River smiled.
"He has threatened to rip my throat out with his teeth a few times," Stiles nodded. "These ones should be good."
"I'm letting you do the heavy lifting," River smirked. "You need to bulk up for lacrosse. Too many werewolves on the team. You need to be able to keep up."
"You're so funny," Stiles rolled his eyes, grabbing three sets of shelves.
"I know," River sighed. "Do we need anything else?"
"Not that I can think of," Stiles shook his head.
"Let's get you to the front," River nodded.
Once at the front, River paid for the shelves and the keys. Stiles took the cabinets to the Jeep and River waited for her keys, smiling when she noticed Matt walk into the store.
"Hey," River smiled when he met her eye.
"Hi, River," Matt smiled back. "What are you doing here?"
"Running a few errands," River told him. "Needed some keys made and had to buy some shelves."
"Here you go ma'am," the man behind the counter stated, handing her a paper bag.
"Thank you," she smiled sweetly before turning back towards Matt.
The bag ripped as she turned though and they keys fell out.
"Crap," River stated, trying to catch the keys.
Matt scrambled to help her get all of the keys as the employee rushed to grab her a new bag. He came around the counter, handing the bag to River. She thanked him again and started putting the keys into the new bag.
"Here you go," Matt smiled, handing her a few keys.
"Thanks, Matt. You're a life saver," River said gratefully.
"River?" Stiles asked, coming back inside. "What happened?"
"Bag broke and keys went everywhere," River explained. "Matt helped me grab them all."
"Hey, Matt," Stiles greeted him as if just realizing he was there. "How are you?"
"Good. I need to get going though. See you both at school."
"Bye, Matt," River smiled as Stiles took her hand and led her out of the store.
"I don't like him," Stiles told her matter-of-factly once they were in the Jeep.
"Why?" River questioned.
"I don't know. Something just isn't right about him," Stiles stated.
"Well, don't worry about him. Let's get home so we can go help the others."
River pulled the box from her closet and Stiles grabbed her spell books from the shelf and set them into the box carefully. River grabbed the notebook and bestiary from their hiding spots and placed them in the box as well as a few stones that she had by her window.
"Is that all?" Stiles asked, closing the box.
"Yeah," River nodded. "I'm going to grab some clothes though."
"Where did you get that shirt?" Stiles asked, watching her throw some of her clothes into an extra bookbag that she had. "I've never seen it."
"It was in my closet already. I think Peter grabbed some clothes for me when he was setting up the house. The tags were still on everything."
"I don't know if that's creepy or sweet."
"He also had the shower stuff that I use in the bathroom."
"Definitely creepy. How would he even know what to get?" Stiles asked as they headed down the stairs.
"My guess is he went to the store and smelt everything until he found something that matched the scent," River shrugged.
"It feels like it's supposed to be sweet," Stiles told her, loading up the box.
"That's how I'm interpreting it," River told him.
Once they were back at the house, Scott came outside to help them carry everything. Scott grabbed all of the shelves as Stiles carried the box. The three went to her room and Scott placed the shelves by her closet door while Stiles put the box on her bed. She moved forward, pulling the bestiary from inside the box before passing a key to Stiles and tossing one to Scott.
"We're the first ones to get keys?" Scott asked.
"Of course," River shrugged. "You're my best friends."
"We're honored," Stiles smirked.
"You should be," River nodded, heading back to the living room.
She passed out keys, leaving the bag of extras on the dining room table. Stiles took a book from Isaac's pile before taking a seat on the loveseat. River sat across his lap, opening the bestiary and slowly going through it. Neither of them even batted an eye as they quickly got comfortable, not noticing how Derek watched them settle against each other.
River noted three different creatures that Jackson could be based on his symptoms and ways to test for each one. There were too many things that could have killed Isaac's dad though, so she figured she needed more information than what she had in order to figure it out. That meant that, unfortunately, she was waiting for another body to drop.
"Alright, Jacks. I have a few things we can try," she announced. "Let's go to the back."
Stiles lifted one of his arms, allowing River to get up without interrupting what he was reading. Jackson followed River to the back door and both smiled as they stepped onto the covered back porch. There was an outdoor kitchen and built in grill in the center of the back porch, outdoor chairs and couches in multiple places. There were fans on the ceiling to help with a breeze in the summer and there was a firepit in the yard.
"Let's go to the trees," River suggested. "Will you carry one of those chairs for me? My back is bothering me."
"Yeah," Jackson nodded, grabbing a random chair and carrying it for her.
Once they were in the cover of the trees, Jackson set the chair down for her and she sat, looking to Jackson.
"Try climbing that tree for me?" she asked, pointing to the one in front of her.
Jackson tried and failed, causing River to hold in a laugh as he struggled.
"Alright. I'm going to make a mountain ash circle around you. I just want to see if you can get out of it."
When Jackson was stuck in the circle, River frowned. She opened the circle and looked back down at the book.
"I feel like we're missing something," she told him. "Are you sure nothing happened last night?"
"I'm sure," Jackson grumbled. "Do you want to see the video?"
"Yes, actually," she nodded.
"I've got the camera in my car."
"Let's go back to the house then. I think I'll stay on the back porch."
"I like it," Jackson nodded.
"It's my first time looking at it."
"You keep saving all your first for me and someone is going to get the wrong idea," Jackson joked.
"Don't let everyone else hear you say that," River joked. "We already told the cops that Isaac and I had sex so that he wouldn't get arrested."
"What did I miss?" Jackson asked, eyes wide.
"Go get the camera and I'll tell you while I watch the video."
Jackson set the chair back where he had picked it up from and went through the house to get the camera. When he got back, he sat beside River on the couch she had chosen to occupy and passed the camera over. She started watching the video and explaining what had happened with the police. Jackson laughed loudly at the story as River focused on the video.
"This is looped," River told him.
"What?" he asked.
"Right here," she told him, showing where the video looped at. "I bet Danny might be able to get the footage back if you asked him.
"He might be a little mad at me," Jackson sighed. "He knows I'm hiding something from him."
"Tell him," River shrugged. "I think he would contribute a lot to the pack. Someone messed with the police cameras last night, too."
"You want me to tell him?" Jackson asked.
"He's your best friend," River shrugged. "He's been there for you through so much. It seems unfair to keep this from him."
"I'll think about it," Jackson nodded. "I'll definitely ask him about this. If he's able to get it recovered, we can ask your dad if he can try with the police cameras, too."
"Dad knows I'm hiding something," River sighed.
"You wanted to tell him before, didn't you?" Jackson asked. "I remember you mentioning it."
"I did," River nodded. "I wanted to tell him after we saved Derek but everything got so screwed up and I didn't get the chance."
"How would you tell him about all of this?" Jackson questioned.
"I wouldn't tell him everything," River shook her head. "I would only tell him about my magic. Everything else is on everyone else."
"Fair," Jackson nodded. "Are you worried about how he'll react?"
"A little. I'm scared he might be afraid of me."
"He wouldn't be," Jackson shook his head. "He knows you. He knows that you're more of a Glenda than an Elphaba."
"I can't believe you remember that," River laughed.
"Remember it?" Jackson questioned. "You and Lydia used to watch 'Wicked' on repeat! It's burned into my brain!"
"Which was worse? 'Wicked' or 'The Notebook'?"
"Notebook," Jackson answered without hesitation. "Hands down."
River smiled widely at him and Jackson pulled her legs into his lap. He smiled for a few more seconds before frowning.
"How do you think she's doing?" Jackson asked.
"I don't know," River shrugged, her own smile dropping. "I hope she's okay. I need to go check on her."
"Because of the board?" he asked.
"Yeah," River nodded. "I should have done it already."
"She should have come to one of us," Jackson corrected her. "She dumped both of us, remember?"
"Well, she can talk to Allison," River sighed. "They seem thick as thieves lately."
"Have you gotten an invitation to her birthday next month?" Jackson asked.
"No," River shook her head. "I figured that it means I'm not invited."
"Same," Jackson nodded. "We'll see when it gets closer."
"She typically sends out invitations a month ahead," River frowned.
"Maybe the thing she isn't telling us about is taking up all of her time," Jackson offered.
"Maybe," she sighed, shivering slightly from the February air.
"Let's go inside before your lips turn blue."
"I could just ask Erica to warm me back up," River joked.
"You could ask Stiles, too," Jackson joked.
"Shut up," River rolled her eyes, pushing Jackson's shoulder as they returned to the living room.
"Anything?" Stiles asked, not looking up from his book.
"Someone messed with the video," River stated. "He's going to ask Danny to fix it tomorrow at school."
"I'm all booked out," Erica complained.
"We have been going at it for a few hours," River sighed. "How about the wolves go for a run in the woods to deal with your built-up energy?"
"That's actually a really good idea," Derek sighed, standing up. "Listen to your pack mom. Outside we go."
"Who's dad?" Isaac asked.
"Probably Stiles," Scott shrugged.
"It wouldn't be Derek?" Erica asked.
"That's incest," River shook her head. "Do the humans want to go practice lacrosse for a bit?"
"I thought I wasn't human?" Jackson asked.
"I don't know what the hell you are," River said honestly. "Until I do, you're human. Go play. Be home before the streetlights come on. I'm letting your parents know you're staying the night."
"Yes, mom!" Erica, Scott and Jackson yelled.
River rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen, sighing as she noticed her breakfast still sitting on the counter. She threw the food away and got started on making dinner for everyone, sending texts to Noah, Melissa, and Erica's mom, letting them know about the sleepover. She called Jackson's dad.
"David Whittemore," he answered.
"Hi, Mr. Whittemore. It's River. I'm calling because a bunch of us are having a sleepover tonight. I was wondering if Jackson could stay over as well. There are adults present and the boys and girls will be separated. He'd ask himself but I sent him outside while I started making dinner for everyone."
"Hello, River! That's perfectly fine. It is a school night though, so make sure everyone gets to bed on time."
"We will, sir," she promised.
"I'm honestly surprised," David admitted. "He doesn't typically ask permission."
"He probably doesn't even know that I called to ask," River admitted. "I was just making the rounds on letting parents know and made sure to add you to my list."
"I appreciate that," David told her. "You kids have fun. Don't get into too much trouble."
"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," River told him honestly.
"I'm sure you wouldn't. Did you finish that paperwork and talk to the sheriff?"
"Yes, sir. He understood where I was coming from with it. I meant to bring the paperwork to you today and got distracted. I'll send it home with Jacks tomorrow after school."
"Sounds good. I'll let you know when I hear back from a judge."
"Thank you, sir," River smiled.
"It's David, River. Please."
"Yes, sir," River smirked.
"Have Jackson text me before he goes to bed."
"Will do," she promised. "Have a nice night."
Once off the phone, she focused on her cooking. She wasn't used to cooking for so many people, so she wasn't sure exactly how much to make. She thought about how much Stiles ate and multiplied that by the amount of wolves running around before deciding on making two lasagnas instead. Once they were finally in the oven, she took more ibuprofen and sat down, letting out a harsh breath as her back touched the back of the chair. She would have to have someone look at her back again to make sure it wasn't bleeding. Stiles came tumbling into the house then, sweat pouring off of him.
"I'm not even a werewolf and I think you stink," River told him.
"I will hug you," Stiles threatened.
"I will yeet you out a window," she threatened back. "I don't know if the other bathrooms have shower stuff."
"Does yours?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Go use mine. You'll smell like a girl but it's fine."
"Thank you!" Stiles called as he headed up the stairs.
"I know for a fact that there's shower supplies in every bathroom for men and women," Jackson smirked once Stiles was out of earshot.
"He doesn't need to know that," River smirked.
"You're evil," Jackson smirked.
"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," River smiled wide.
"Why do girls like being called evil?" Jackson wondered, heading up the stairs himself to get a shower.
"It smells so good in here!" Erica yelled as the rest of the pack came in.
"It's lasagna. Go get showers. It should be ready in thirty minutes."
"Yay!" Erica clapped as she ran upstairs, Isaac and Boyd close behind.
Derek came over to the table and put his hand on the back of her neck, drawing in her pain.
"Want me to check?" he asked.
"Yes, please," she said, leaning forward.
Derek lifted the back of her shirt, making sure she hadn't started bleeding again. He lowered her shirt and took some more pain.
"It's not bleeding," he told her.
"Thanks," she smiled. "Go get your shower."
"Are you sure you're alright on your own?"
"I've been by myself for the past hour. I'll be fine," she promised. "Go have a moment to yourself. We need to figure out if the rooms are soundproof by the way. I want us all to be able to have privacy."
"I'll listen for the others to check," Derek nodded, leaving River on her own.
River sighed, enjoying the pain free time before it came back. She leaned back in the chair, getting comfortable and closing her eyes. After what felt like a few minutes, Stiles was shaking her awake gently, letting her know he had pulled the lasagnas out and that he made her a plate. He set the plate in front of her and River looked around. Stiles was the only one who had come back down so far and was now sitting beside her with his own plate.
"Should we wait for the others?" she asked.
"What have you eaten today?" he asked.
"Nothing," she sighed. "Got distracted."
"Eat," he told her. "I'll wait for the others."
"Are you just going to watch me eat?" she asked.
"Yupp," Stiles smirked.
River rolled her eyes and took a bite, practically moaning at how good it was. She ate quickly, Stiles passing his plate over when she had finished hers. Everyone else came down the stairs as he refilled the first plate for himself. Once everyone had grabbed a plate, they took seats around the table. Derek sat at one of the heads of the table, Boyd and Isaac taking spots to his left and right as Erica sat next to Boyd. River was beside Stiles with Scott across from her and Jackson beside him. That left two empty seats for River to stare at as she ate her second plate. Everyone was eating and talking around her and she couldn't stop staring at the spot where she expected Lydia to sit beside Jackson. As she looked at the empty seat beside herself, she imagined Noah there.
"I think we're going to need a bigger table," she mumbled more to herself than anyone else.
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, the only one paying attention to her still.
"I mean, we'll need spots for Lydia, Danny, dad and momma McCall eventually. Plus, what happens when the pack grows? We'll need more room."
"Why would Danny, dad, and Melissa be here?" Stiles asked, catching the attention of everyone else.
"Well, Danny's helped the pack before and he's going to help Jackson with the video. It wouldn't be fair to not clue him in. Do you really expect to keep dad and Melissa out of it forever? I'm sure Erica and Jackson have thought about telling their parents, too."
"We're not adding more people to the pack any time soon," Derek spoke up, acting as if he was the deciding factor in everything.
"That's not up to only you," River stated.
"As the alpha…"
"As the owner of this house," River interrupted. "If anyone in the pack wants to invite people over, we shouldn't have to hide who we are in our own home. This is a pack. That means it's a pack vote. This is not a dictatorship. If you want to act like that then you are no better than Peter was."
Derek took a deep breath, eyes closed as he controlled his anger.
"Fine," he stated. "Raise your hand if you want Danny in the pack."
Every hand went up except for Dereks.
"How about the sheriff?"
The votes were the same.
"And Melissa?"
River smirked as she stared at Derek.
"What about Erica's parents?"
"Erica?" River asked.
"No," Erica shook her head.
"Boyd, do you want your parents to know?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Jackson?"
"Maybe after we figure out what's going on with me."
"That's fair. We'll discuss it again if any of you change your minds. Is that fair?"
When everyone agreed, River looked to Derek. He had a hard look on his face as he stared at River.
"Alpha?" she asked.
"Alright. Once we figure out what happened to Isaac's dad, we'll tell the parents. Jackson, you can tell Danny when you feel like the time is right."
"Thank you," Jackson nodded to Derek.
Derek nodded, knowing that even with the vote, had Derek not agreed, none of the teenagers in front of him would have told anyone. River had a point though. He didn't want to be like Peter. He wants to be a good alpha.
"So, are we a pack?" Stiles asked. "All of us?"
"We don't have to decide yet," Derek stated. "I know I need to work on my trust with a few of you before we're all a pack. I would like that though."
"We'll work on it," River smiled. "Oh! Jackson, your dad said to text him before you go to bed. I let everyone's parents know that we're having a sleepover."
"Even mine?" Boyd joked.
"No," River shook her head.
"Good," he nodded. "They won't notice anyway."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked.
"Nah," he shook his head, going back to his food.
"I'm here if you change your mind, V," she smiled.
"I know," he smiled back.
They ate the rest of their meal and Boyd and Stiles went to wash the dishes. Derek moved so that he was sitting beside River.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked as the rest of the pack dispersed, each going to wonder around the house or to spend time in their rooms.
"No," Derek shook his head. "Thank you for speaking up. I don't want to be like Peter."
"I won't let you be," River promised. "I'll call you out every chance I get."
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it," he smirked.
"I won't do it in front of other packs if that makes you feel better?" she offered. "Can you teach us about pack politics? I'm sure there's a lot we need to know about how packs work."
"Well, I'm the alpha, which means I help the pack become stronger and I teach everyone how to survive. I protect everyone. You are the pack mom, I guess. You like taking care of people as well. You have magic, which means I might make you my emissary eventually."
"What's that?" she asked.
"Like an advisor," Derek explained. "Deaton, Scott's boss, was my mom's emissary."
"Deaton has magic?" she asked. "I feel so out of the loop."
"I'm not sure what he is exactly. If I had to guess, I would say druid."
"Okay," River nodded. "We'll see at a later time if you still want me as emissary. When things aren't as messy and if we all decide to stick together."
Derek nodded before continuing.
"There's typically a second-in-command. I'm trying to decided who that is."
"You don't have to decided anything right now. Take your time. Get to know everyone and create stronger bonds with them. As time goes on, you'll figure it out."
"Are you sure you don't want to be emissary?" Derek smirked.
River rolled her eyes before yawning.
"You should get some rest."
"I left my clothes in the Jeep," River groaned.
"I'm on it," Stiles stated, heading out of the house.
"He's the best," River smirked, closing her eyes again.
"So, Peter said that you found your mate already," Derek broached the subject.
"Did you read my letter?" River asked.
"I did," Derek nodded. "I didn't know what it was at first."
"It's fine," River sighed. "You and Stiles are the only ones who've read it."
"So, want to talk about the mate?" Derek asked.
"Not really," River shook her head. "I've got too much to figure out before I worry about my love life."
"Fair," Derek nodded. "Head on up to bed. I think we're all pretty tired."
"Alright," River sighed, standing.
She kissed Derek's cheek before walking up the stairs, Stiles coming into the house and following her a moment later. Once in her room, Stiles set her bag down by the unopened shelves and moved the box off of her bed. He kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed next to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling her close.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Tired."
"Put on pajamas," Stiles told her. "I'm going to go brush my teeth."
River nodded, standing as Stiles went to her bathroom, stealing the extra toothbrush and shutting the door so River had privacy. Once she was changed, she laid back on the bed, ignoring the pull of the moon as she waited for her turn in the bathroom. Stiles came out of the bathroom in just his boxers, his clothes folded on the counter.
"I'm going to get a shower," River decided as she stood.
"Alright," Stiles nodded, closing her window and shutting the curtain.
River went to the bathroom and started the water, turning up the heat as she threw off her pajamas. She stood under the hot water, shaking off the needy feeling the best she could as she washed her hair and body. Once she was done, she put her pajamas back on, brushed out her wet hair, and brushed her teeth. She opened the door to find Stiles sitting up and reading a book. Overall, it looked very domestic.
"What'd you find?" she asked, shaking off the thought.
Stiles looked up from the book and gave her a smile, closing the book and setting it aside.
"Nothing important," he shrugged. "Ready?"
"Yeah," River smiled, climbing into the bed and getting under the covers.
Stiles followed her lead, getting comfortable under the blankets and turning off the lights. River's back was pressed into Stiles' chest as his arms wrapped around her. Stiles fell asleep quickly but River forced herself to stay awake, thinking about Peter's letter now that Derek had mentioned it. She thought about Stiles, how she felt safest around him, how they were so familiar with each other. She'd always assumed it was from being around each other all the time, but she had been around Scott almost just as much as they grew up and she didn't react to Scott the way she did Stiles.
Eventually sleep took her, exhaustion finally catching up to her body. She woke up to Stiles letting out a soft moan.
"Sti?" she asked, turning in his arms and worried he was having a nightmare.
His eyes fluttered open as she moved. He caught sight of her and gave a small smile before leaning forward and kissing her head. River smiled, snuggling deeper into his chest.
"Am I dreaming?" he asked.
"No," River shook her head.
"That's what dream you would say," he grumbled.
"What else would dream me say?" she smirked.
"She'd tell me to kiss her," Stiles shrugged.
"And awake me wouldn't?" River asked.
"Awake you doesn't like awake me."
"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, confused.
"Because I'm an uncoordinated dork."
"I think it's cute," River smirked.
"See? Definitely dream you."
"How often do you dream of me?" she asked, not even sure if she was awake at this point.
"All the time," Stiles whispered, his voice more sincere than she'd ever heard before.
"I dream of you, too," she admitted.
"Definitely dreaming," Stiles smiled.
River pulled back slightly, smiling gently. She leaned up, kissing Stiles' cheek before staring into his eyes again. Stiles smiled and leaned forward, bringing his lips to River's. She leaned into him and they both let out happy hums. Stiles moved so that he was on top of her, resting between her legs. River ran her fingers through his short hair and they both came up for air.
"You should grow it out," she said, giving a small tug to his hair.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"It'll give me something to pull on," she shrugged.
Stiles smiled before leaning into her again, kissing her more roughly this time. River wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of his weight on her. After a few minutes of kissing, Stiles pulled away again.
"I don't want to wake up," he admitted.
"Me, either," she told him. "Let's stay here forever."
"I could do that," Stiles smiled, leaning in again.
They moved against each other, Stiles grinding his hips down against River, her sleeping shorts not leaving much to the imagination as she felt him against her. She moaned softly at the feeling as he rubbed against a certain spot.
"There?" he asked.
"Yes," she whispered out. "Please."
Stiles continued the motion, River wiggling under him a bit at the feeling. They moaned into each other's mouths, swallowing the sounds each of them were making. River felt herself getting close from the simple actions.
"Don't stop," she begged, her voice still in a whisper.
"I'm close," Stiles admitted.
"Me, too," she told him. "Please."
Stiles continued, both of them breathing heavily as they kissed. River's back arched and she bit her lip to keep herself from making too much noise, not wanting to pop the noise bubble around them as she came. Stiles hid his face in her shoulder, grunting a few times as he finished as well. He breathed heavily from a few moments before moving off of her. He went to the bathroom, grabbing a hand towel and running it under warm water. He cleaned himself off before tossing the towel into the hamper and grabbing a new one, running that one under warm water as well. He came back to the bed with the towel and kissed her head.
"Can I clean you up?" he practically begged.
"Yes," she whispered out, more tired than she had been before and her legs shaking.
Stiles pulled her pants and underwear down slowly. He spread her legs and wiped at the wetness there before using the dry part of the towel to dry her off. He pulled her shorts and underwear back up her legs before tossing that towel into the hamper as well. He covered them with the blankets and pulled River to him, her back against his chest again. They both fell back asleep, neither one sure if they had been dreaming or not at that point.
Stiles and River woke up to Scott jumping onto the bed, way too excited and much more awake than he would normally be. River growled at him slightly as she rubbed at her eyes.
"What's that smell?" Scott asked.
"Your mom's breath," Stiles complained, pushing the other teen off of the bed just as their alarms started going off.
"Why is he so awake?" River asked, not moving from her spot.
"I don't know," Stiles complained, turning off the alarm and rolling back over to cuddle her more. "He's yours when he's like this."
"You picked him up from the shelter, he's your responsibility," River argued.
"I am not a stray," Scott argued.
"Sure, you aren't," River grumbled.
"Seriously, what is that smell?" Scott asked.
"Go away," Stiles complained. "We'll be up in a minute."
"You're going to fall back asleep," Scott stated. "Get up before I steal the blankets."
"I'm going to murder him," River stated. "Smoother him with a pillow. Let the next big bad shoot him. I don't know, Melissa. It all just happened so fast. He'll be missed."
"That's mean," Scott complained and River could tell without looking that he was pouting and had his puppy dog eyes out and on display.
"I didn't see anything, dad," Stiles continued. "River and I were nowhere near there when it happened. No witnesses around. Must have been another animal attack. We really should call someone about all the mountain lions we've been getting lately."
"Guuuuys," Scott whined. "Derek's making breakfast for everyone."
River shot up.
"Derek is cooking?" she asked, ignoring Stiles' complaints.
"Yupp!" Scott smiled before sniffing the air again. "Did you guys have sex?"
"No," River and Stiles said at the same time.
Stiles pulled River back down, pulling her close again so he could try falling back asleep.
"It smells like sex," Scott mumbled. "Seriously, get up."
"Fine," River growled out. "Go away so I can get dressed."
"Stiles is here!"
"Stiles is going into the bathroom so that he can get ready. What are you doing?"
"Whining," Stiles supplied an answer, his voice less groggy now.
River laughed at that one and Scott left the room, shutting the door behind himself. River sat up again, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"I'm going to go get ready. You can take the bathroom when I'm done."
"Okay," Stiles sighed, pulling her pillow against his chest and holding it against himself.
River smiled before grabbing an outfit out of her bag and going to the bathroom. She changed her clothes, brushed her hair and teeth, and put on her makeup. She did not pay attention to the hand towels that were missing as she left the bathroom and told Stiles it was his turn. Stiles got ready quickly, finishing getting ready before River had on her Converse and had her hair up in a messy bun. He slipped his shoes on and followed her into the dining room where they were met with other tired eyes and Derek moving around the kitchen.
Scott was staring between Boyd and Erica before turning back to Stiles and River. He looked back to Erica and Boyd, catching the small smiles they kept sending each other when they thought no one was looking before turning back to River and Stiles. Stiles had his head on River's shoulder, already almost asleep again as River went over her chemistry homework one more time, making sure that she had answered the questions correctly before stuffing it back into her bag.
Scott shook his head and smiled as Derek put a pile of pancakes on the table. He asked what everyone wanted to drink and rolled his eyes as most of the teens begged for coffee at the same time. Once coffee mugs were filled and placed in front of everyone, he noticed the smell coming from two different parts of the table and blushed, reminding himself that he needed to tell the pack how to cover certain scents at some point.
Once everyone finished eating and got their fill of coffee, or in River's and Stiles' case had to-go cups, they grabbed their bookbags and headed out the door. They piled into three different cars and headed to school, Scott riding with Jackson in the Porsche and Isaac riding with Erica and Boyd, rolling his window down when he finally caught a whiff of the smell coming off of them.
Once at the school, the three drivers parked next to each other, Allison pulling up a moment later and taking the closest spot she could find. She gave Scott and weird look when he climbed out of the Porsche but Scott gave her a smile and she nodded, keeping up the appearance that they were broken up from a distance. She noted the other two vehicles and who was climbing out of each one, thinking that it was strange that they all got there at the same time.
Stiles held River's hand, walking her to her locker like normal, still not sure why Scott was giving them weird looks or why Isaac turned his nose up at them and went in the opposite direction of them. River was too busy going over her class notes to even notice.
"Are you ready for the quiz in chem today?" she asked him.
"I am but Scott's screwed," Stiles smirked.
"You screwed," Scott mumbled.
"What?" River and Stiles asked, not having been able to hear what he said.
"Nothing," Scott sighed, figuring his friends would tell him when they were ready. "Wait, there's a quiz?"
"This is why you should have studied with me and not Allison," Stiles sighed as they walked River to her first class.
River told them both bye and walked in, taking the seat next to Erica. Erica gave her a funny look before smirking and facing forward.
"Okay, no. Why is everyone doing that?" she asked.
"Doing what?" Erica asked innocently.
"Acting like I smell," she said with a pointed look. "What is it?"
"So, how was it?" Erica asked.
"How was what?" River asked confused.
"The sex with Stiles?" she shrugged.
"I didn't have sex with Stiles," River blinked, still confused.
"Well, you smell like you had sex with Stiles," Erica smirked.
"You had sex with Stiles?" Lydia's voice asked as she sat behind River.
"No," River said firmly.
"I'll tell you about sex with Boyd if you tell me about sex with Stiles," Erica offered.
"What?" River asked, smiling widely.
"You have to spill first."
"Stiles and I didn't have sex though," River stated.
"That's weird. You aren't lying but you smell like sex and Stiles."
"We didn't…" River trailed off, remembering what was definitely not a dream now. "Oh, my God."
"What?" Erica and Lydia asked.
"We didn't have sex," she clarified.
"Then why are you freaking out?" Lydia questioned.
"I thought it was a dream," River groaned out, hiding her head in her arms and feeling like she might cry.
"Thought what was a dream?" Erica asked excitedly before she smelt the saltiness of tears in the air. "Hey, what's wrong?"
The bell rang and River stood up, running from the room. Erica and Lydia ran after her, all three abandoning their stuff. River ran into the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. She sank to the floor and started crying, her head buried in her arms as Erica and Lydia ran into the room.
"River?" Erica asked gently. "What happened?"
"We didn't have sex," she said. "We made out and there was a lot of grinding and we- we…"
"So, you both finished. Why are you crying?" Erica questioned.
"We both thought we were dreaming," River stated. "He probably still thinks it was a dream. He's not going to know it was real."
"How do you do something like that and think it's a dream?" Lydia asked.
"I don't know," River complained.
"Open the door," Lydia demanded.
River unlocked the stall and scooted out of the way of the door. Lydia pushed the door open and pulled River up. She dragged River over to the sink and grabbed a paper towel, wiping away the running makeup.
"Pull yourself together," Lydia told her.
"I also made out with Isaac," River admitted.
"Damn, you get around," Erica commented, causing River to groan.
"You're going to make her cry again," Lydia complained. "When did you make out with Isaac?"
"The night of the full moon. The moon was pulling both of us and we made out and then I took him to the depot and then we had pack day and then I did stuff with Stiles," River stated, her face in her hands.
"Alright. Erica, go to my locker and grab the red bag. It's locker 334 and my combination is 24-36-17. River, you need to calm down."
Erica ran from the bathroom to get the bag and River glared at Lydia.
"Don't look at me! I didn't make out with two dorks in, like, a day."
"You did make out with Scott and Jackson in a day," River pointed out.
"That's only one dork," Lydia shrugged. "Now, stop crying. Do you want thing one to remember what happened?"
"Not really," River groaned. "I'm embarrassed."
"Why? I'm sure you were great."
"Because I didn't think about it. It's going to make everything weird," River stated.
"Or it'll make everything fabulous. If you don't want him to remember, then you need to cover your tracks. Is there any evidence to what happened?"
"In my room," River nodded.
"So, you just need to get rid of the evidence before he sees it. It's that simple."
Erica came running back in with the makeup bag.
"Hold still," Lydia demanded as she worked on River's makeup.
Once River's makeup looked the same as it had that morning, they headed back to class, their teacher giving them pointed looks before going back to teaching. River let out a low breath as she started taking notes, Erica and Lydia following her lead. Once class let out, Lydia stayed with River and Erica, talking to River as if she hadn't disappeared for the last week.
"Oh! Erica, you're coming to my birthday party next month," Lydia said as they reached Erica's locker.
"I am?" Erica asked.
"Of course," Lydia smiled. "We need to make sure us girls are sticking together and taking care of each other. Right, River?"
"I'm invited?" River asked.
"Why wouldn't you be?" she asked.
"Didn't get an invitation," River stated.
"You don't need one. We're Lydia and River."
"Are we?" River asked, confused. "What happened to using me?"
"I was PMSing," Lydia shrugged. "Forgive me?"
"Sure," River stated, feeling confused.
"I have to go find Allison. I'll see you at lunch."
With that Lydia walked off, flipping her hair over her shoulder in the process.
"What the hell?" Erica asked.
"The Lydia effect," River sighed. "I still think she's hiding something."
"We'll figure it out," Erica promised. "Are you going to the rave next week?"
"I did not plan on it," River told her. "Not my scene."
"Boring!" Isaac sang, coming over to them and turning up his nose again. "Why is it everyone?"
"Oh, no," River groaned.
"Isaac, go away," Erica told him, pulling River away.
"We need to figure out how to hide that smell," River stated.
"I don't mind it," Erica smirked. "Are you going to tell Stiles?"
"I'll let him figure it out himself," River sighed.
"Should we take bets on how long it takes him?" Erica asked.
"Twenty bucks that he remembers at lunch," River smirked.
"I say end of the day. Should we ask Lydia if she wants in?"
"I'll text her," River shot off a text and smirked at the answer. "Lydia says chemistry class."
"This'll be fun," Erica smiled.
"Oh, no. Trade seats with me," River begged Erica. "We sit together in chem."
"Which is probably why Lydia guessed then," Erica smirked. "I don't want to lose money, so I'll trade you."
"Thank you. You're a saint," River sighed as they separated for their next class.
River took the spot next to Isaac in chem while Erica sat by Stiles. Stiles looked confused to see her and looked around for River. River ducked her head, looking down at their quiz until Harris' voice caught her attention. River got started on her quiz, leaning back so that Isaac could copy a couple of her answers before she turned in her paper. Once back at her seat, she got started on their next homework assignment, still ignoring the glances that Stile kept sending her.
She fled the classroom when the bell rang, racing down the hall and away from Stiles as quickly as she could. She took a few deep breaths while leaning against the wall before opening her eyes and jumping, letting out an annoyed and surprised yelp.
"Miss Stilinski," Gerald smiled. "I was hoping I could have a word."
"Sure," River nodded, feeling on edge and following Gerald into his office.
"I see here that you have excellent grades. Third highest in your class."
"To Lydia and Stiles," River nodded with a proud smile.
"Yes. No extra curriculars though?"
"I was going to join track this year but my doctor told me to wait until next year."
"Oh, yes. An animal attack a few months ago," Gerald nodded and River felt fear running up her spine, causing her to sit up straighter. "What was the animal?"
"I was told a mountain lion," she admitted. "I didn't see it. It moved too fast."
"How unfortunate," Gerald sighed. "How are you healing?"
"Well," River nodded. "Doesn't hurt as much anymore. I still get pains every so often but nothing too bad."
"Good," Gerald nodded. "So, track next year?"
"Yes, sir," River put on a fake smile. "My dad, Sheriff Stilinski I mean, suggested it."
"I see that the sheriff is your foster parent," Gerald nodded. "You went into his care years ago?"
"Yes, sir."
"Where were you before that?"
"I don't know," River told him honestly, knowing the answer was probably in the cart. "I was just found one night with no memory."
"How sad that must be," Gerald frowned.
"It's not so bad," River shrugged. "I figure if it's important enough, I'll remember it one day."
"It's a good way to look at it," Gerald smiled. "Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure you're hungry."
"Thank you," River smiled, exiting the office.
Once in the hall she let out a shudder and a disgusted sound, trying to shake off the creepy feeling Gerald gave off. She raced to the cafeteria, running over to the table with her friends.
"Your not-girlfriends grandpa is creepy," River said to Scott, sitting down beside Stiles.
"What?" Scott asked, confused.
"Principal Argent," River explained. "He's creepy."
"Wait, is that where you were?" Stiles asked.
"Yeah," River sighed. "I closed my eyes to catch my breath and when I opened them he was just there. Started asking me questions about being attacked in front of the school."
"Fry?" Stiles asked, holding out his container.
"Yes, please," River smiled, taking a fry.
Stiles tensed beside her and River looked at him in confusion. Stiles eyes were wide as he stared at her.
"Damn it," Lydia complained, tossing twenty bucks in River's direction.
Erica passed her twenty over and River stuck the forty into her pocket while Stiles went into shock apparently. Everyone else was confused as they stared between the three girls and Stiles, trying to figure out what was going. When Stiles stayed like a statue, River grabbed all of his fries, helping herself while she waited for his brain to come back online.
"It wasn't a dream," Stiles squeaked, falling backwards out of his chair.
"You couldn't have waited a few more hours?" Erica asked.
"You couldn't have figured it out in chemistry?" Lydia asked. "Dirty trick switching seats by the way. I really thought he'd figure it out in class and then we could have watched River bitch out Harris for trying to give him detention."
"I'm confused," Scott admitted.
"You have been all your life," River joked. "How'd you do on the quiz?"
"I'm failing," Scott groaned as Stiles picked himself off of the floor.
He sat in his seat, sitting on the edge furthest from River. River stared at the distance for a long minute before looking over to Lydia and Erica. Both girls were glaring at Stiles, which made River feel a little better, but mostly it just made her feel like shit that Stiles was sitting as far away from her as possible.
"I'll help you study," River told Scott.
"Thank you," Scott sighed and River saw Allison glaring at her from the table behind theirs.
"What?" River asked her, annoyed.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Allison asked, raising her voice.
"Get over yourself," River rolled her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your shitty attitude."
"Do the guys in your group just pass you around?" Allison questioned.
"Come on now," River said dryly. "Make sure to include the girls or Erica will be offended."
River stared at Allison, completely unimpressed. She had heard the rumors before about all of them having orgies, but no one had been brave or dumb enough to say it to her face before. Allison glared back as if her eyes were actual daggers. River slowly began to smile and Scott groaned in front of her, burying his head in his arms as Lydia and Jackson began smiling, excited for the show.
"I'm sorry. Are you upset because you can't have little study dates with Scotty anymore? Did the co-captain of the lacrosse team not want you anymore? Are you upset that he got a taste and ran for the hills?"
River didn't realize that she and Allison were both standing at this point. River could feel the anticipation of a fight rushing through her system, the adrenaline already kicking in at the thought.
"River," Scott tried.
"No, Scott. Let her speak!" Allison yelled.
"Yeah, Scotty. Let us speak," River smiled more when she noticed Allison flinching when River used Scott's nickname. "You don't want to say something, Allison? I mean, you're brave enough to glare at me from across the room, but not brave enough to talk to me about what your issue is. You think just because Scotty saw a new girl and caught an interest, you have a claim on him? He's a person, not a piece of furniture. Maybe if you had treated him as such, you would still have a chance."
"You're a slut and a bitch!" Allison yelled, moving around the tables and moving into River's face.
River's smile widened at the action, her hands limp at her side.
"Does it make you upset that Scotty-boy would rather associate with me than with you? That Jackson and Lydia ignored you when they realized that you didn't like me?"
"Lydia has been ignoring you all week," Allison pointed out.
"Where is she sitting right now?" River asked, her voice sickly sweet.
Allison's face turned red as she realized that she had backed herself into a bit of a corner.
"Allison, you like to talk shit. I like to fight. So, I suggest you take a few steps back and get your cow breath out of my face."
Allison stepped back immediately, shock on her face as if she didn't know how she had gotten to where she was standing.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" River asked. "Maybe you should go see the counsellor. I'm sure she can suggest someone who can help you."
"You're a bitch," Allison seethed. "A psychotic one at that."
"Thank you," River smiled. "I got it from my father. Your crazy must have come from your aunt. You know, the one that burnt down a house full of people and went on a killing spree."
River knew she'd hit the right button with that one when Allison jumped at her, a screech leaving her throat as she did so. River reached out and threw Allison past her, sending her to the floor. Allison jumped back up and slapped River across the cheek. River took a step back as her head snapped to the side. Allison smiled as she stood in front of River, thinking River would give up now that she'd gotten a hit in.
Allison felt fear trickle down her spine when River slowly turned her head to face Allison, a satisfied smile on her face.
"My turn," River whispered before punching Allison in the nose, breaking it on impact.
Allison fell to the ground and River straddled her, raining punches down on her. At one point Allison moved her head and River punched the concrete floor, letting out a pained yell and giving Allison the chance to punch River's lip. Feeling her lip split, River grabbed Allison's shirt, holding her in place as she began punching again. After only a few seconds of being on the floor, River felt herself being lifted off of Allison.
"Get off me!" River yelled, trying to get out of Boyd's grasp.
"Not happening," Boyd whispered. "Gerald is coming."
"Fuck," River whispered, no longer struggling against Boyd's hold. "Someone call my dad."
"Lydia's on the phone with him now. She's telling him what happened. Brace yourself."
"What is happening here?" Gerald yelled.
Boyd turned slightly so that River could see Gerald as he kneeled beside Allison. Boyd threw his hand over River's mouth to cover the laugh that came out of her mouth at the sight of Allison's face swollen and covered in blood. It took River a moment to stop laughing as Greenburg and Matt took Allison to the nurses office. She froze the moment Gerald turned his attention to her.
"You," Gerald stated and River had to stop herself from shrugging and replying with 'me' like a smartass. "My office. Now."
Boyd went to go with her and Gerald told him to stay. Boyd followed anyways, ignoring Gerald as he yelled at him. River spit out the blood that had gathered in her mouth onto the floor before walking out of the cafeteria, head held high as she went, a small smirk on her lips as Boyd stayed between River and Gerald.
She took a deep breath as she felt pack bonds form suddenly. She heard Boyd gasp softly and sent reassurance through the bond to him, letting him know that it was her. She felt Isaac and Erica's worry and could practically feel Derek pacing. She also felt Lydia, Jackson, and Stiles snap into place. She couldn't feel Scott, but figured he was angry at her for beating the shit out of his girlfriend.
She walked into the office, smiling to Miss Trudy.
"What happened?" she asked, standing up.
"You might want to come in the office with us," River told her as Gerald came in, fuming at River and Boyd.
"She and your friend can stay out here while I call your dad to come get you. You are expelled."
"Or we can do this right here," River smiled, turning to face Gerald and no longer fearing him. "You can't expel me unless you plan on expelling your granddaughter as well."
"Why would I expel her?" Gerald asked through gritted teeth.
"She came at me," River stated. "She started yelling at me. She got in my face. She hit me first. If you're expelling me for defending myself, you're expelling her for starting it."
"My granddaughter had to be carried to the nurses office because she couldn't see pass what you did to her!" Gerald yelled.
"Maybe you should teach her to not start something that she can't finish," River shrugged. "Or teach her how to fight at least. I'm a firm believer that every woman should know how to defend themselves."
Gerald got in River's face, expecting her to back down. Instead, Noah walked in at that exact moment, still in uniform.
"Back away from her," Noah's voice was low, angry. "My daughter was attacked in your school and you have the gull to yell at her and get in her face. She is a minor, a child. You are an adult. Back. Away."
Gerald snarled as he took a step back. River simply smiled, ignoring the cut in her lip stinging in the process. She was still riding the high from the fight and could see Boyd shaking from the adrenaline that he could feel through the bond.
"Go for a run, River," Noah instructed. "I'm sure you suspension will begin as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir," River said, her smile wide and looking misplaced on her face right now.
Gerald actually looked a little worried as he stared at her.
"I'll see you back home tonight," Noah told her.
"Yes, sir," River repeated before turning and walking out of the office, Boyd following close behind.
River walked out of the school taking a deep breath of the fresh air before taking off in a run towards her house, Boyd running with her. She heard more footsteps join them and could feel that it was Isaac and Erica. The four of them ran until they reached the house, River collapsing in the grass and gulping down air. Derek came outside, standing over River and staring down at her.
"Hey," she smiled, still out of breath as the adrenaline started wearing off.
The other three wolves sat beside her, each thankful that her anger was dissipating along with the extra energy.
"Someone should check on Stiles. I don't think that energy was good for his ADHD," she said slowly, her breathing finally slowing down.
"You can feel Stiles?" Erica asked.
"Yeah," River nodded. "I can feel everyone except for Scott. I did beat up his girlfriend though. Sure you still want to try to get custody of me?"
"How much trouble are you exactly?" Derek asked.
"A lot," Isaac and River said together causing her to laugh.
"Is she alright?" Derek asked the other three.
"She's fine," Erica waved. "Just a little nuts. Give her a minute. Stiles is fine, by the way. Said it felt weird but he's on his way here."
River nodded, acknowledging Erica's words as she kept laughing.
"Do you need to run more?" Isaac asked.
"Probably," River laughed, turning on her side and holding her stomach.
"She did not take her medicine this morning," Erica stated.
"Probably why I beat the shit out of her," River wiped tears away from her eyes.
"Okay. Get up," Derek commanded, lifting River. "Let's go run."
River followed Derek as they ran through the woods. They ran for thirty minutes before River's legs felt like jelly. She laid on the ground, dead leaves gathering in her hair.
"Get up," Derek told her.
"Leave me here," River gasped, out of breath. "I'm dying."
"Don't make me carry you the last mile home," Derek stated, eyebrow raised.
"Just give me a second," she told him, closing her eyes.
Derek sat beside her, waiting for her heart to calm down and her breath to return to normal.
"How often does something like this happen?" he asked.
"Not often," River admitted. "It takes a lot for my anxiety to cause this. I'm typically pretty chill. Too much has happened lately though."
"So, it's stress?" Derek asked.
"Makes me a little loopy," River explained.
"What happened?"
"Allison tried to be a bitch, learned I'm better at it."
"River," Derek sighed, rubbing his face.
"She started it," River defended herself. "She said all the guys pass me around so I may have said that Scott got a taste of her and then ran for the hills. She got in my face and was screaming at me. She told me I was a psycho bitch, which I told her I got from my father, and then said she must have gotten her psycho from dear aunt Kate. She came at me."
"You really said that?" Derek asked.
"Plus some," River nodded.
"Let's get to the house," Derek nodded, helping River to her feet.
They ran the last mile in five minutes, River pushing herself so that she could try to beat Derek. The wolf had a clear advantage though and came out of the trees before her. She put her hands on top of her head as she caught her breath again, walking into the house and finding Stiles waiting for her, sitting in a dining room chair and his leg bouncing like crazy. When she walked in with Derek, he jumped up, running to her and wrapping her in a hug. He pulled away to get a look at her lip.
"I'm okay," she smiled. "You should see the other guy."
"I did," Stiles sighed. "I don't think Allison is going to be wining any beauty contests any time soon."
"You say the sweetest things," River smirked.
"How bad was it?" Derek asked.
"Pretty bad," River shrugged as Stiles checked over her knuckles.
He pulled her to the bathroom that had the first aid kit, sitting her down on the closed toilet. He started on her hands first, cleaning up the blood and cleaning off the cracks from hitting Allison. River hissed in pain when he touched her right hand.
"I'm pretty sure you broke something when you hit the ground," Stiles sighed. "We'll have to go to Melissa."
"Why's it always my hands," River complained.
"It really is," Stiles nodded. "We should go now. Get it done so she can check your lip, too. Don't think I didn't see you spitting blood before leaving the cafeteria."
"Let's go," River sighed. "I need to give her a key anyways. Dad, too, actually."
"I'll grab a couple of keys," Stiles told her. "Head to the Jeep."
River kissed Derek's cheek before walking out to the Jeep. Stiles ran out so he could pass her and open her door. Once she was safely in the Jeep, Stiles drove them to the hospital, calling Melissa on the way to tell her they were coming.
"What happened now?" Melissa asked before getting a look at River and gasping.
"Hey, Momma McCall. It took me almost all year to get into a fight. I think it's a new record," River joked as Stiles groaned.
"In here," Melissa told her, leading her to a room.
Melissa got an Xray of River's hand before cleaning up the blood on her hand and double checking the hand Stiles had already cleaned. After that, she cleaned River's lip. Noah came into the room as the doctor began going over the Xray.
"You fractured a bone here, here, and here," he explained. "You'll need to wear a brace and wrap the fingers for the next few months."
"Joy," River sighed annoyed at herself for hurting her hand so badly.
The doctor wrapped her fingers and put a brace on her before getting her discharge paperwork ready. River turned to Noah, ready for her punishment.
"You're suspended until next week," Noah explained.
"And grounded for the rest of time?" River asked.
"No," Noah shook his head. "Lydia told me everything. I would have wanted to fight, too."
"I waited for her to throw the first punch," River told him. "I gave her the first two actually. I just pushed her away from me the first time she tried."
Melissa came back into the room then.
"What's the damage?" she asked, handing Noah the discharge papers.
"Fractured a few fingers," River told her.
"How? You know how to throw a punch," Melissa crossed her arms.
"She moved when River went to punch her and River ended up punching the floor," Stiles explained.
"What happened?" Melissa asked with a sigh.
"Allison," River told her. "She was saying some very unsavory things and I may have egged her on a bit."
"Of course, you did," Melissa sighed. "Was Scott there?"
"Yeah," River told her. "I don't think he's very happy with me."
"Why wouldn't he be? She broke up with him. You'd think he'd be fine with seeing you go at her," Melissa snorted.
"Scotty is a very peaceful person," River shrugged. "Not a fan of violence."
"He's never been mad about your other fights," Melissa said. "In fact, he always seemed a little excited about it."
"It's probably because it was Allison," River shrugged. "They may be broken up but that doesn't mean he wants to see her in pain."
"Fair," Melissa sighed.
"Your boyfriend is waiting for you outside," Noah informed her.
"Which one?" River joked. "Haven't you heard? I'm dating everyone apparently."
"Isaac," Noah stated.
"We aren't dating," River told him.
"What?" Noah's face looked annoyed.
"You read the report," River groaned. "It was one time."
"Fine," Noah sighed. "Just tell me you were safe?"
"Of course," River nodded. "Can we stop this conversation now, please?"
"Yeah," Noah said. "Let's get you out of here."
"Oh! Keys!" River remembered.
Stiles passed a key to Noah and Melissa and the four were off. Isaac, Boyd, and Erica were waiting in the lobby when the Stilinski's got there. River smiled as she watched Erica and Isaac arguing over vending machine snacks while Boyd sat between them, looking like he was the only thing keeping them from not attacking each other over the Reece's versus Skittles debate.
"Can't leave you alone for five minutes without an argument breaking out," River sighed.
"River!" Isaac and Erica yelled while Boyd smirked and rolled his eyes.
"Don't they have super hearing?" River whispered to Stiles.
Stiles smirked as they approached the group.
"I have to get back to work. Behave," Noah warned.
"Yes, sir," River nodded. "Love you!"
"Love you both!" Noah called back as he left.
"Let's get to the house," Stiles told her. "Dad's picking up your pain meds on the way home."
"I don't need pain meds. I have a Derek," River shook her head.
"Dad doesn't know that," Stiles reminded her.
"True," River shrugged as Stiles helped her into the Jeep as the other three piled into Boyd's truck.
Once in the Jeep, River felt an awkward silence filling the air.
"Are we going to talk about it?" River asked.
Stiles just stayed silent, causing River to look over. She could see how red he was and decided to give him a break.
"Stiles, stop freaking out. Are you mad about it?"
"No," he answered.
"Do you regret it?"
"I regret thinking I was asleep."
"If it helps, I thought it was a dream until Erica wouldn't leave me alone since we smell like each other and sex," River told him.
"We smell like sex?" Stiles asked. "That's what Scott was talking about this morning."
"Yeah," River told him.
"So, we both thought we were dreaming?" Stiles asked.
"We did," River told him.
"Would you have done it if you knew you were awake?"
"I would have made sure to pinch you so that you knew you were awake first," River told him.
"You count fingers to make sure you're awake," Stiles corrected her. "Keeps people from bruising unnecessarily."
"Now I know for next time," River smiled.
"Next time?" Stiles asked, his voice high and squeaky.
"Do you want there to be a next time?" she asked.
"Do you really think I should grow my hair out?" he asked.
"Stiles, stop avoiding. You can tell me if it was a mistake. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."
"It was a mistake," Stiles said and River wished it didn't hurt so much.
"Okay," she nodded. "It won't happen again."
"What if we think we're asleep?"
"We won't share a bed anymore," River shrugged, trying to push down the feeling raging through her. "Simple as that."
"Okay," Stiles agreed as they pulled into the driveway. "Wait, did you want it to happen again?"
River got out of the Jeep without answering. Derek's pack bond must have felt something off though because he was staring at River in a way that told her he knew something was wrong besides her hand.
"Fractured a few fingers," River told him as she passed him. "I'm going to take a nap."
"Do you need me to help with the pain?" he asked.
"No. I'm fine," River told him. "Is there a way to mute the pack bonds when you don't want everyone to know what you're feeling?"
"It takes time and practice," he informed her. "You just build a wall in your head to hide the emotions that you don't want people to know about."
"Okay," River nodded. "Thanks."
"River," Derek reached out and grabbed her arm. "You can talk to me if something's wrong."
"I was asking for Isaac," she lied, knowing everyone but Stiles would hear it. "I know he probably doesn't want everyone to know when he's having nightmares. I'm going now."
Derek released her and River walked upstairs. She stared into her room; eyes glued to the bed. She ripped the sheets from the bed, tearing pillowcases off of the pillows before trying to flip the mattress with one hand. Isaac came in when he heard her struggling and flipped it for her. She let out an annoyed breath before going to her closet and grabbing the extra set of sheets and making the bed. Isaac just watched her, only helping with the fitted sheet. Once she was done, she tossed the sheets into the hamper in her closet before going to the bathroom and grabbing the hamper that was in there, pouring the contents of that basket into the other and covering it with a pillowcase.
She went to lift the hamper but Isaac beat her to it, taking it from her hands.
"Go to my room. I'll start this," he told her.
River nodded and went next door. She kicking off her shoes and climbed into Isaac's bed, curling up under the covers with her back to the bed and as close to the wall as she could get. She imagined a wall in her mind that prevented her emotions from reaching the pack, using her magic to help build it. She felt it snap into place and allowed all of her emotions from the day to drown her. Her anger towards Allison's words, the excitement from a fight, the regret and rejection she felt from Stiles. All of it. She felt as if she was stuck at the bottom of a pool with no way to get to the surface.
She could feel herself choking on a sob, unable to breathe through everything she was feeling. She knew it was a panic attack but had no way of stopping it. The person she usually went to was Stiles and she refused to let him see how much he had affected her.
"Brook!" Derek's voice broke through everything, pulling her from the water as he wrapped his arms around her.
"What happened?" she asked, looking around the room.
"You were having a panic attack," Derek explained, holding her close. "It caused your magic to flare out. Isaac didn't know what to do."
"Is he okay?" she asked, crying as she tried to find him.
"He's fine," Derek promised. "He went to go get you some water."
River nodded, leaning into Derek as she cried. Isaac came running back into the room. He set the water beside the bed and sat in front of Derek, hands reaching for River. Derek held her tighter, not sure what had caused the panic attack and not trusting anyone else with her at the moment. River reached a hand towards Isaac though so Derek assumed it wasn't because of him. If he had to guess it was because of the driver of the Jeep that had driven off the moment River had stepped into the house.
Isaac pulled River close, wrapping her in his arms and humming quietly. Derek had noticed River humming to the pack multiple times, unaware that she was even doing it at times. Isaac buried his face in River's neck, scent marking her and comforting her at the same time. Derek put his hand on the back of her neck, adding his scent as well. That's when Derek realized that Isaac was trying to cover Stiles' scent and Derek knew for sure it was due to the spastic teenager.
River's breathing went back to normal and the crying stopped. Isaac rocked her back and forth, still humming as she slowly fell asleep. Once asleep, Derek could feel the buzz of her emotions again and he knew she had made her wall much easier than he thought she would be able to. Isaac laid her down, keeping her in his arms as he did and refusing to leave her. Boyd, Erica, Jackson, and Lydia came into the room together, all four finding spots on the bed once Derek stood. He looked at Lydia for a moment, wondering when she and River had made up before leaving the teens piled on the bed together, all of them laying on top of each other and touching River in some way.